Pharyngeal Vowel Exercise

Pharyngeal Vowel Exercise:

Excerpt:

The next step is to work with the pharyngeal vowel exercise that I designed years ago. I have found it works with approximately 95% of singers. Have the singer sing a 5-tone descending scale with the tongue between the lips imaging the vowel space straight back behind the tongue. Then have the singer place the tongue inside the mouth and sing the five basic vowels in any sequence KEEPING the pharyngeal vowel space behind the tongue root. You will find a large, resonant, yet body-connected sound results. Vocalizing with the tongue between the lips in the middle register demands a body connection and this is a good way for teachers to vocalize any student who has difficulty with this concept.

Causes of Vocal Fatigue

Causes of Vocal Fatigue by David Jones (2001) VoiceTeacher.com.

Causes:

(1) Smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages.

(2) Belting: using too much chest voice pushed up to high in the scale.

(3) Using a technique with a tight solar plexus during singing.

(4) Singing with a high larynx.

(5) Singing with a low soft palate.

(6) Singing with a forward jaw position.

(7) Singing with the vocal cords too far apart or too squeezed together.

(8) Pushing too much breath pressure through the larynx.

(9) Incorrect posture; dropped chest or hyper-extended chest.

(10) Singing with the head posture pushed forward from the spine.

(11) Use of mouth vowels instead of pharyngeal vowels.

(12) Unsupported singing; lack of connection to the resistance of breath pressure in the lower back and abdominal muscles.